Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one. ~ Jane Howard
Mar 142010
Mar 122010
“Somewhere someone is looking for exactly what you have to offer.” – Louise Hay
Quite frequently I get asked about finding a partner – from where to meet men or women to how to get them to commit. (And, yes, the words “land,” “reeling” and “catching” are used often.)
From now on I am sending people to the book, The Soulmate Secret, by Arielle Ford.
This book reminded me of a belief I had adopted just before I met Husband: You already have the love of The One, your soulmate, the perfect him or her. You just now have to meet them. Pretty good start, huh?
What I really loved about this book is the myriad of things to do. It isn’t just one long string of testimonials about how someone “thought into existence” their soulmate (though your thoughts count – a lot). Rather, as one of the quotes in the book says, you must learn to pray with your feet. The Soulmate Secret helps you do just that. If I were single I would do every single one of the things the author suggests.
(Oh, and she has a wonderful Web site to check out, too.)
So, if you are single, go forth and meet!
Mar 082010
Things that arrive in my inbox have no rhyme or reason. This month must be sex month, given what’s shown up. So I’m giving you all the goods. At once. (Writing about sex isn’t nearly as much fun as having it, so you get this one post, K?)
Many lists exist about what creates a long-standing marriage. I like this idea – four simple steps. Guess what number four is? Cultivate a healthy passion. Nice way to put it. Proactive. Succinct. Rich-sounding.
Cultivate = You have to nurture it. It doesn’t just happen.
Healthy = That means not hurtful, manipulative or harmful to psyche or body.
Passion = This speaks to being energetic and enthusiastic.
But, sometimes you need a little help in those areas. So below are some resources to help get you started (or keep going)
- Benchmarking Help. Wonder if you are getting more or less than others? God Bless America. Now, who’s getting laid? All charts and graphs for easy understanding. But, if 42 percent of the men report having sex on the first date and just 17 percent of the women report doing the same, how does that work exactly?
- Aging Help. Feeling a little old for all this in this department? Tips to maintain a healthy sex life later in life provides some sound advice. “Expanding your idea of sex” was one good thought.
- Seduction Help. Want to add a little spice? But, your significant other needs a little, well, help? As in, specific help? 101 Nights of Grrrrreat Sex. This book is incredible. 101 sealed pages. Half are for her and half are for him. If you open one, you are committing yourself to the seduction instructions inside. (You don’t show your partner the “assignment.” You just do it.) Terrific for getting men to think “outside the box” but in ways we females wish they would. And, Husband reports they got it right on the male side, too.
Mar 072010
If it is your time, love will track you down like a cruise missile. ~Lynda Barry
Mar 012010
The Wall Street Journal isn’t just for financial news. They like to address all kinds of lifestyle and home issues, too, such as When the Kitchen Knives Come Out.
This article cracked me up. It shows how couples do battle around food preparation.
It reminds me that, when single, you often lose sight of your preferences. After all, there are few people to challenge you. But, getting married? Well, all of a sudden someone says Dukes’ mayonnaise is better than Hellmans’ and all hell breaks loose.
When you get married later in life there are other issues, as well. You are in the unfortunate position to merge two fully-formed kitchens. Which dish set is the best? Who’s coffee maker do we keep? And, who has the best whisk? (For the record, it’s mine.) Do we really need 12 pewter authentic beer steins?
There are the territory issues that arise in the kitchen. All that constant bumping butts over the sink as one is trying to open the cutlery drawer.
Of course, there is protecting the food altogether.
And, then, there are the clean-up issues.
Husband and I have an ongoing battle of who loads the dishwasher best. I say the cutlery should go face down. The dirty ends will be hit with soapy water first. Husband insists all utensils should stand right side up. They get cleaner that way, he says. But I ask, how do you get them OUT without putting your hands on the “eating” ends? End of cleanliness.
One of the first kitchen wars we had was over the sponge. Apparently I kept leaving the sponge face down in the sink versus standing on its end so it would drain near the faucet. This was tantamount to sin.
Of course, Husband leaves the water running and running and running while he’s busy wiping counters (occasionally). I say it’s environmentally incorrect. Then I get a lecture about water conservation and drought and how water running down the drain isn’t causing us to have less water. I stand my ground. He continues to let the water run.
I also learned that the stove has special meaning to Husband. If there was one drop of juice that dared to touch the bottom of the oven, he’d put it on self clean. This makes our townhouse smell like a chemical factory. Husband doesn’t mind. Even when I cough so much I have to leave the house. Now, Husband is not allowed to ever to touch the self-clean function on the stove. (For the record, our stove looks brand new at all times because Husband is also obsessed with the stovetop being crystal clean – inside and out. We’re talking cleaning and then shining with Windex afterward. Yes, he’s in charge of that. I have better things to do.)
But, nothing showcases our different kitchen styles like our ongoing battle over how many implements are the “right amount” to use when cooking or baking. I use whatever is within easy reach – even if it means pulling out the fourth spoon to stir that pot. Husband believes one should use the least amount of dishes at all time. Less to clean, he says. This is hysterical to me because I do 90 percent of the cleaning anyway. Hmmm. He refuses to clean up after me. Maybe he’s got a little racket going on there.